We rang up Dallas-based Cogent Managing Director Stephen Sloan to find out more about the sale to Greenhill.

It’s been such a blockbuster few years for secondary transactions. Why sell now?

The market is growing, [and] we’ve been in a good position to watch it grow and be a part of it.

Greenhill brings a bigger platform and a broader set of capabilities to serve our clients over time. Strategically, we line up really well. They have a real core focus on advising clients and can broaden the range of capabilities and services we provide.

Can you elaborate on what types of services they could add?

They have a world-class real estate placement group. [Real estate] has been a part of the secondary market that has had significant growth, and I think they can help accelerate that part of the market for us. They also have a broad set of relationships across financial institutions.

Are there going to be more of these types of deals in the future?

I don’t think so, to be honest.

When did you start talking to Greenhill and how did you decide they were the right choice?

We’ve had conversations with people over the years about a possible deal, and we got to know them really well. Culturally, they fit with how we serve our clients. It just got to the point where we felt, ‘Hey it’s the right time.’